# I Hate Hygrometers



## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

After fighting with my desktop humidors I finally bought a fridgador and thought I had everything stabilized until my humidity levels went all wonky. First I replaced the battery in my Heartfelt and bought a new HygroSet from Town & Country. Then I salt tested my two digital hygros as well as my home weather station and it came back that the Heartfelt was -6, the HygroSet was -1, and the weather station was spot on. I took them out of the plastic bag, adjusted the HygroSet, and left them out for a day and this is the end result:










If this is to be believed then the Heartfelt is a whopping -14, the HygroSet is now +6, and the weather station is accurate since it jibes with other reports in the area.

What the heck? How am I supposed to trust any of this junk when they're this far off and swing so wildly in both directions? At what temperature and humidity level can I trust them to provide an accurate reading? Anyone else have these issues?


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## Little General (Jan 12, 2008)

At least the temp is close...:r


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## papajohn67 (May 25, 2006)

I have a box full of them. For the most part I do not pay that much attention anymore to what any of them say. I just give my cigars a big hug at night before their bedtime....so far it's worked out well.


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## DonnieW (Jul 2, 2008)

Don't get caught up with trying to compare them. Its all relative, pardon the pun. Use one, commit to it and be done with it. Once you have it adjusted, its all relative. Got it?


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## glking (Jul 20, 2007)

Kinda like the old saying:

A man with one clock always knows what time it is.
A man with many clocks never knows what time it is.


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## dentonparrots (Aug 19, 2008)

Because my job entails keeping a close eye on parrot eggs as they hatch I have loooadddss of them and they all differ which is a nightmare, considering if they are wrong I can risk losing a chick worth $1000 as the shell will be too thick and they might not hatch/ get out. 
I've had 7 digital ones in a single incubator and NONE of them match another, and the incubator cost me nearly $700...which has one built in and that's wrong too!

The annoying thing is, it's their ONLY job and they mess it up! 

I salt tested loads of them and the most accurate ones I've came across (whilst in "real" use) to date are the old style analogue ones used in reptile vivariums and humidors. 

You can buy calibrated ones from specialist incubator stores etc with a certificate of calibration and they are obviously going to be accurate, but more expensive. 
Until then, go with the reptile/ analogue ones that cost a few $'s.


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

dentonparrots said:


> Until then, go with the reptile/ analogue ones that cost a few $'s.


I'm thinking of going back to my old analog one that's perpetually stuck at 68%. That one will never fail me.


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## Old Sailor (Jul 27, 2006)

I found with my adjustable ones that I had to retest after adjustment, because when you remove it from bag, adjust it, it may already be off. I found that by leaving it in the bag, you can adjust it without openning the bag, takes a bit of trying but thats how I've done mine.


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## Little General (Jan 12, 2008)

Here's something that should work just as well




Or...


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## King Leonidas (Apr 12, 2008)

Go & buy the cheap one from wal-mart,mine has been dead on for years.Hope this helps :2


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## pbrennan10 (Apr 9, 2007)

mugwump said:


> my humidity levels went all wonky.


****ing aye man

****ing aye.


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## motownflip (Jul 26, 2006)

I hate hygros


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## chippewastud79 (Sep 18, 2007)

I don't have many issues with mine. But when it shakes down to it: if they feel right and smoke right, I am over it :tu


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

chippewastud79 said:


> I don't have many issues with mine. But when it shakes down to it: if they feel right and smoke right, I am over it :tu


Yeah I had things down pretty good with my crappy humidors where I could tell the humidity level by look and touch. With the new fridgador I'm still trying to get a feel for things and without any sort of trusty gauge I can't be sure where my sticks are at. The last few I smoked were dry and harsh while the hygro was reading 71%. Fun times.


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## jjirons69 (Jul 15, 2007)

Buy a pound or two of 65% beads and keep them half white/half clear. You now have 65% all the time, every time. Send back the hygros and buy cigars with the return money. :tu


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## bripper (May 24, 2008)

King Leonidas said:


> Go & buy the cheap one from wal-mart,mine has been dead on for years.Hope this helps :2


High 5 King!
The Springfield Precise Temp from Wal=Mart works fine.


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## bazookajoe (Nov 2, 2006)

papajohn67 said:


> I have a box full of them. For the most part I do not pay that much attention anymore to what any of them say. I just give my cigars a big hug at night before their bedtime....so far it's worked out well.


:tpd:

As Barbosa would say, hygrometer readings are really "more guidelines than actual rules". I like to go by how the cigars smoke (easy for me to say as my western caliber III hygromters are very accurate ).


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## DKPRLP (Aug 3, 2006)

I agree use beads I use 60% myself cause my basement is always about 70% so it equals out pretty good for me stable @65%-65 degrees


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## roughrider (Feb 25, 2008)

jjirons69 said:


> Buy a pound or two of 65% beads and keep them half white/half clear. You now have 65% all the time, every time. Send back the hygros and buy cigars with the return money. :tu


I'm using this method but I also have a hygrometer in there. 1 pound of 65% beads. Half white, half clear. So far so good.


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## macster (Jun 26, 2008)

ripper said:


> High 5 King!
> The Springfield Precise Temp from Wal=Mart works fine.


Bought one of those from Wal-Mart. 

Did both the Humidipak and salt test back to back at 72*F each for 36 hours and the Springfiiled Hygro was +6 points for each test.


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## dunng (Jul 14, 2006)

Old Sailor said:


> I found with my adjustable ones that I had to retest after adjustment, because when you remove it from bag, adjust it, it may already be off. I found that by leaving it in the bag, you can adjust it without openning the bag, takes a bit of trying but thats how I've done mine.


Same here... week or so process for me. :ss


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

Since I was at Wally World a few days ago I decided to check out their cheap hygros and bought both the Springfield and the Acurite. After salt testing one is -7 and the other -6. So much for those fixing my problems. At this point I'm just going with the beads and forgetting about the hygros. Now I just need to figure out a project that can incorporate four useless hygrometers.


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## yayson (Aug 21, 2006)

papajohn67 said:


> I have a box full of them.


me too, no knock against heartfelt the vendor (excellent service and the beads kill) but those little black ones with the heartfelt logo in the OP are always way under, I had 3 of them salt tested with "-8" to "-14" written on them in silver sharpie. They're pretty accurate once you find out where they read (provided the battery's in good shape) but I've never had one read close to correct.

Using the 65% beads I have a good feel for where my humi is at, so much so that if I use the little black hygrometer I know when the battery needs to be replaced by the variation in the reading. That's a pretty good case for well-maintained beads.

I now use an Oregon Scientific that takes regular batteries (AA or AAA) and it's been at -2 since purchasing it, good hygrometers


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## pearson (May 27, 2008)

I have my vino turned down to 60 degrees and i just let it go, my cigars smoke well so I am not worried about my meter.


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## jaycarla (Jun 10, 2007)

chippewastud79 said:


> I don't have many issues with mine. But when it shakes down to it: if they feel right and smoke right, I am over it :tu


:tpd:

The first 6 months I was a humidty junkie. Would freak out if I went to 62% or 68%. Now, I honestly couldn't tell you what they say. Beads and I check them every month or so. My stuff has been, is, and will be fine.

I do know though that through all the playing with the ones, the remote unit that I have with my Oregon Scientific weather station that is BY FAR better than anything I bought.


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## ggainey (Sep 3, 2007)

motownflip said:


> I hate hygros


I cannot disagree with you.:ss


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## leasingthisspace (Jun 9, 2008)

I read about all the crap and heartache people get from them. I bought some beads and don't worry about the rest. Cigars smoke fine so why worry.:2


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## Rev2010 (Sep 3, 2008)

Has anyone had any problems with the Western Caliber III cause that's what I'm using and it seems dead on. Currently my humidity varies between 68% and 69%. I can see it change slightly after opening the lid to get a stick, then eventually rebalance out. Seems to be working great so I'm just curious if anyone has found a reason not to use them.



Rev.


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## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

The main reason I was trying to get an accurate humidity reading is that with the fan running so much in the fridgador the rH was reading high while the cigars were feeling very dry. Beads were half white and half clear but nothing felt right. I solved the problem by putting the wine cooler on a timer so it only comes on for 30 minutes every 2 hours. I think the always on fan was just drying things out regardless of the humidity level. Hopefully things will stay level now.


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## The Mum (Mar 28, 2007)

King Leonidas said:


> Go & buy the cheap one from wal-mart,mine has been dead on for years.Hope this helps :2


Good answer


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## Dr. Stogie Fresh (Nov 18, 2005)

One thing I've found with digital hygros is to avoid salt testing them. The salt-laden air often causes the digital electronics to go whacky. :hn

Regardless, as others have said, there ain't no such thing as absolute accuracy with hygrometers, digital or otherwise. 

Doc


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## Totemic (Jun 2, 2008)

The only reliable hygro I have: The el cheapo from Pet Smart designed for reptile cases. According to the Boveda (sp?), it's spot on. And measured against 2 lbs of Heartfelt beads, it's right at 65%. I was so impressed, I got three more (only one of them was -1% and another was DOA, which I returned).

The adjustable hygros I got from CI: worse than worthless. Initial calibration showed them (I got 3) to be +/- 12%. After adjustment, they were +/- 4%. After putting them into my humidor, they are between them +/- 6% (yeah, their range went higher when I went from 75% humidity of the Boveda to 65% of my humidor).

I've been using those as paper weights.


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## macster (Jun 26, 2008)

I recently read an archived post on the BOTL web site that stated and discussed the fact that there has been in the recent past a manufacturing glich in the production of the actual chip used in many hygros in response to temperature. If I recall correctly they were mostly citing the adjustable Hygrosets. 

It seems according to the post (from Ron a BOTL moderator) that at temps 68*F and above the hygros (peviously calibrated) will read accurately. However, as soon as the temp drops to 67*F or below the defective chips in these particular hygros jump up 5 points consistently.

Don't know if anyone else has come across this info. Something to consider(?)


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## mario (Jul 31, 2008)

I did the salt test on 2 hygrometers(west calibor&madaline) in the same tupperware and after about 15hrs the readings were: (1st)81% and (2nd) 74%. So 1st is -6% and 2nd is +1% thats ok i took a picture to alaways remember it.
I use 1pound of hertfield 70%beads, spread out in a footlocker humidor, 
Now the problem is looking inside my humidor the 1st hygrometer reads 79% and 2nd 67%, so thats: 73% & 68%. 

Which is the correct RH level????


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## Jimbo14 (Aug 31, 2008)

I just finished about 65 hours of salt testing on my hygrometer <---- I hate hygrometers, they are not consistant. Even after 48 hours the humidity would rise as the tempreture would which is not really meant to happen? I think the best thing is to buy a brand of humidification device such as heartfelt that you really really trust and if the cigars smoke well then all is good.

All this about x-meters and calibration makes me wonder how accurate other meters are. Speedometer, tachometer, thermometer, manometer ect...


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